James Potter and the Gallery of Mysteries
by grahamfics
Summary: James Sirius Potter is off to Hogwarts and badly wants to succeed like his father. But being put through a tough year of failed friendships, academic pressure and adventure, he will find out who his real friends are, and most importantly, who he really is... New chapters every weekday and Saturday.
1. chapter 1

**_Chapter_** **_1_**

It was a Tuesday morning when the family set off. The sun shone brightly down on their home in Godric's Hollow as theu drove away in their car towards London, but their was a frost settling on the windows, and orange-brown leaves falling everywhere, signifying the beginning of autumn.

The three children sitting in the back of the car laughed and talked and argued - the good-tempered 9 year old boy with jet black hair and green eyes; the 7 year old girl with laughing blue eyes and striking auburn hair; and the quiet 11 year old boy who looked much like the younger one, except he had brown eyes instead, who sat tensely and quietly in the middle. You wouldn't think any of them were different to other children at all - but they were. All three were not only wizards and witches, which was a peculiar thing in itself, but they were also the children of both Ginny Weasley, former Holyhead Harpies quidditch team, and Harry Potter - the boy who lived. Harry had defeated the most feared dark wizard in 100 years or more, Lord Voldemort, numerous times between the ages of 1 and 17. Now though, Harry lived a quieter life with his children, and had taken up a job in the Ministry of Magic.

Today, however, was a day when another person was in the spotlight- James Sirius Potter, the quiet boy in the back of the car. It was his first time going to his new boarding school, Hogwarts, which would give him a special education for wizards like himself.

The family had left early, as the train left at exactly 11 o'clock, and so by half past ten they were drawing in to park outside King's Cross Station in London. The family piled out of the little red car, and Harry opened the boot and hauled out James' trunk.

Then the family found the barrier between platforms 9 and 10, and ran straight through it, Harry pulling the trunk with him - into platform 9 and three quarters.

"Wow, son, this seems heavier than it was before," Harry said with a grin, "What are you smuggling into school?" James gave a weak smile, feeling sick with nerves, and grabbed the handle of his trunk. He was excited at starting his new school, but there were so many things to worry about. What house would he be sorted into? He wasn't too worried about this - Ravenclaw was the house for the smart kids, and that would mean he was smart, which he would be happy about, and the Hufflepuff dorms were near the kitchens, plus Hufflepuffs aret loyal and nice, and James had enough common sense to know that Slytherin wasn't actually the evil house... but he badly wanted to follow in his parents' footsteps and be a Gryffindor. And what if his introverted personality made it hard for him to find friends? He didn't know, and he didn't particularly want to find out, but time was ticking, so he dodged out of the way of one of his mother's kisses in fear someone might see, and dragged his trunk onto the train - The Hogwarts Express.

Harry frowned, confused as to why his son was acting so strangely, as usually he loved to be around his mother. He ducked between crowds of people to get to a window in the train, where he could see James sitting down in an empty compartment. Harry gestured for his son to open the window, and he did.

"Hey," Harry said, "What's the matter wirh you?"

James shrugged and said nothing.

"I know there's something up," Harry continued, "So you may as well tell me."

James began to turn away, then stopped, because he didn't want to leave his father like this. Before he could think, he was telling his fatjer everything, about all his worries about Hogwarts. "...and that's why I don't want to go," he finished, "Can't I just stay home?"

Harry hesitated for a moment, before telling his son, "You know, when I first started Hogwarts, I was just as frightened - no, more frightened- than you are. I had no idea where to go, I probably looked like the nerdiest kid alive," James laughed at this, and Harry smiled, "and I was wearing clothes four sizes too big, but that didn't stop me from being sorted into Gryffindor, or making friends. And," he leaned to whisper into his son's ear, "I'll tell you a secret. If you really want, you can tell the sorting hat what house you want to be in, and it will take your choice into account."

James sat back, speechless, just as the great clock in the station chimed 11 and the train started to move out of the station. Harry gave James one last kiss, and he leaned out of the window as his parents and younger brother and sister waved at him, yelling their goodbyes.

James Sirius Potter was off to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Just as James was turning away from the window and wishing he had just got off the train at the station, the door to his compartment was opened by a plump, pale boy with white-blonde hair who looked extremely excited. James looked up at him and muttered, "There's room in here," but the bky simply stood about nervously. James rolled his eyes, and just as he was about to suggest to the boy that it might happen, the train gave a jolt, and the blonde boy was thrown sprawling into the opposite chair. This seemed to suit him, though, since he started to chatter away to James at light speed.

"Oh my god, was that Harry Potter right there? That is so amazing. The boy who lived? He's my rolet model. I have about a gazillion chocolatet frog cards of him. How do you know him, anyway?" James rolled his eyes at the boy, as he always did when someone ignored him for his father. But his fellow passenger didn't seem to notice, and whenJames mumbled "I don't know, he's just my dad," the boy squealed and carried on gabbling, words tumbling out of his mouth. He reminded James of his sister, Lily, who fangirled over every book she read, sorting out her perfected life plan to suit her favourite book character's. He didn't mind much with Lily, and he teased her along with his brother Albus, but it made James sick to hear a stranger fanboy over his dad. He also thought it was unfortunate that this boy was the first person he would meet here, since, according to his mum, word spread quickly at Hogwarts, so he was sure that everyone his age knew about this annoying boy, and so would avoid his compartment, which wouldn't do his shyness any favours.

But he was wrong, because as he was just about to drift off to sleep to the boy's chatter, two figures slipped into his carriage and sat on either side of the boy. They were a boy and a girl, both who had brown hair and green eyes. They grinned at James and simultaneously rolled their eyes at the boy, who had apparently lost all interest in the world around him as he kept talking (not even real words any more, just noises as he got worked up). The boy leaned forward to James and smiled, and whispered, "Who on earth is he? A bit... boring, isn't he?" James nodded gratefully and replied, "I have no idea who he is, he just came in," and before he could stop himself he continued, "he's freaking out about my dad being Harry Potter." No! He could have kicked himself. Now the twins might start hyperventilating too, completely forgetting about him!

But the boy just laughed and said "Cool. I'm Joe, and this is my sister Zoë." The girl looked up and smiled and waved.

"I'm James."

"Great. So, what house do you want to be in? I want to be in Gryffindor, but Zoë wants to be in Ravenclaw, goodness knows why. I've heard they have to answer a riddle to get into the common room, which sounds much too hard for me, but you know," Joe told him.

"But Hufflepuff would be good, because their dorms are next to the kitchens!"

"Really? You learn something new every day!" said Joe. Then James realized.

"Oh, are you and your twin muggle-"

"Not twins!" Zoë spoke for the first time, interrupting James. "We actually have different fathers. But we both seem to take after our mum."

"Yes, I can see that. Well, how have you got different fathers if you're in the same school year?" James asked.

"Well, I was born on the 14th of September, and Joe was born on the 1st of August."

"Yes," scowled Joe, "She always makes a point of reminding me that she's older."

Zoë and James laughed.

Then, they noticed the blonde boy again, who was now lying back in his seat, worn out. Joe raised his eyebrows at him, and said in a raised voice, "Hey! Hey you, Potter worshiper!" he snapped his fingers in front of the boy's face a few times, before the boy snapped to his senses.

"What?" he gasped.

"We just wanted to aska you your name," James said in a cool tone, since no one his age who like Harry more than him was first on his friend list.

"Well," the boy said, "It's Jacques."

James nodded as the compartment eased back into silence, before it was broken by Zoë getting out a copy of The Hunger Games and opening it on a bookmarked page.

Soon, the train rolled up outside Hogwarts. The children tried to get a look at it out the window, but it was filled with mist, so when they got out the train, they were taken aback in awe of the magnificent castle towering above them. The two tall towers, which James knew to be the Ravenclaw and Gryffindor towers, and the stretch of building between them. Joe started to sprint towards the school, whilst Jacques jogged after him, leaving Zoë alone with James. He didn't like being alone with a girl, but he tried to maake the best of it.

"Hi," he said, and he already knew how bad this conversation was going to go, and cringed.

Zoë rolled her eyes very subtly with a grin. "You're very socially awkward aren't you?"

"Kind of," James said, blushing. Zoë laughed, and then shook her head.

"Sorry. I shouldn't laugh. I was too, but I swore I'd turn over a new leaf coming here," she told him.

"Me too, but it's not really working," James admitted.

"Hey, it's only the first evening, and I won't tell anyone about a minor setback. You'll be fine." Zoë smiled at him, before the converstaion got too awkward for them both, and she ran ahead to join her brother.

It hadn't been the most successful conversation, but James grinned to himself. He had just talked to a girl!

He followed the other students towards the horseless carriages, when he was taken by surprised to feel him being pulled in the other direction. He looked around to find Zoë at his side again.

"Wrong way," she said.

"Oh, right," James replied sheepishly, and then he agreed she could laugh at him.


End file.
